Shrewsbury sees pros and cons in charter school enrollment drop

SHREWSBURY — School officials called the recent decline in charter school enrollment a "good news, bad news" scenario for the district.

Business Services Director Liam Hurley told the School Committee at its meeting Wednesday night the good news: The number of Shrewsbury students opting to enroll out-of-district in charter schools is down 25 percent from its all-time high of 144 in fiscal 2011. He said 108 students had enrolled in charter schools this fiscal year as of Oct. 1.

Mr. Hurley said the bad news is that despite the decrease, the financial cost to the town remains relatively unchanged at $1.05 million.

Under state education guidelines, the town pays roughly $10,800 in tuition costs to the receiving district for each student that enrolls out of district.

Mr. Hurley said the state formula provides partial reimbursement of those costs to the school district, but only if tuition costs to the town increase. Since enrollment in charter schools is down, he said, the rate of reimbursement the town receives from the state has also decreased.

Superintendent Joseph M. Sawyer said the state's formula for reimbursement, which changed in fiscal 2011, is complex and flawed.

He said the district paid $873,000 in tuition in fiscal 2011, a huge increase compared with the $200,000 the school paid 10 years ago.

He said the school district's main effort to decrease the cost is to "retain and regain."

Mr. Sawyer said he anticipates the number of charter school enrollees to decrease based on initiatives such as the personal iPad program, advanced math at the middle school level and the opening of the new Sherwood Middle School campus.

He said he hopes some of the students enrolled in charter schools opt back in to the district.

School Committee member Erin H. Canzano asked how soon the school district can expect a decrease in tuition costs if charter school enrollment keeps declining.

While he said it's difficult to project, Mr. Sawyer estimated the district will only have to pay $500,000 within three to four years if the current trend continues.